a journalistic nickname for New York City

a village proverbial for the foolishness of its inhabitants

How appropriate then that we all are a part of a gay volleyball league in the great city of New York. Once a week we battle on the court for glory, medals, and – most importantly – the chance to say “suck it!” at the nearby bar afterwards. It’s an immensely fun experience: the friendly competition, the silly emails, the awesome photos, and the creative team names– everything from punny to honorary. But for most of us, being part of a gay sports team is anything but frivolous.

As most gay men will attest, it’s difficult to meet people outside of bars, clubs, and websites, and how often do any of those relationships develop into rewarding friendships anyway? As part of a gay sports team, you become part of a society filled with people from all sorts of occupations and of all lifestyles and ages. Sharing a mutual affection for a sport is a solid foundation for a friendship to develop, and the team camaraderie generated by the competitive drive to win is an instant catalyst to those relationships. Reveling in victories, sharing defeats, witnessing your teammates making incredible plays and learning how to work as one makes being on a team something that can’t be replicated and provides a social experience that we all cherish.

In every sense, the environment created by being a part of a gay sports team is a healthy place. Volleyball is an athletic sport, and once a week you can work up a sweat, abandon your stress, and step outside of yourself in an arena where drugs and alcohol are not needed – a rare commodity indeed. For some, it’s a place to abolish their own internalized homophobia. For others it’s a place to face their childhood fears of gym class and develop a strong identity in an athletic setting that is safe and supportive. Some use it to redefine for themselves what masculinity means – whether that means embracing gay stereotypes, or shattering them. For some it’s as simple as getting a chance to be active every week or to flex a creative muscle when designing the team logo or uniform. Some just want to show off, some just want to meet guys and some just want to win. It can be as uncomplicated as you want it to be, and as meaningful as you make it.

Being a part of a gay sports team gives us something to look forward to each week, something that makes us smile when we think about it, and most importantly, a sense of belonging. In a predominantly heterosexual society it’s easy to feel like we are alone. Our team represents how we are many, we are different, we are present and we are awesome.